1970 TOPPS WORLD SERIES CELEBRATION
The 1970 Topps NL playoff and World Series cards are a joy to behold.
There are 10 cards covering the Mets 1969 sweep of the Braves and their five-game victory over the Orioles.
And there is barely a discouraging word in the lot, but for Don Buford‘s homer leading off game 1 of the World Series, a 4-1 victory for the Orioles.
The run of cards is capped by this World Series Celebration card, which is afforded the memorable caption “Mets Whoop it Up!”
(I’m going to go out on a limb and venture that this is the only time that the word “whoop” has ever appeared on a modern trading card. I imagine that there might be one or two cards in the 1909 T206 set that contain the word, but even then it’s probably followed by “-ing cough”…)
Now, take a look at what Ed Charles is holding in his hand there– it’s a copy of “The Amazing Mets” LP.
I’ve seen pictures of this album before, but I have to say, I always assumed it was released after the team won the series. Even with this evidence to the contrary staring me in the face for 40 years…
The subtitle on the album cover reads “All the excitement of their greatest day” and the scoreboard indicates that the photo was taken on September 24, the day the Mets wrapped up the division with a 6-0 win over the Cardinals. So the “greatest day” this album commemorates is actually the night that the team clinched the East.
I guess that after seven straight years of basic ineptitude, the bar for “amazing” was set relatively low…
I think we also have to make an exception for the NLCS Champions card. But other than that you’re right – the cards were great with fantastic photos.
Yeah, there’s more nudity than usual on that NLCS card. But hey, it was the ’60s, man– Woodstock and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and whatnot…
Great research! Probably in a long line of baseball- and sports-themed songs. Is there a song called “Darryl” when you just repeat “Darryl” over and over again (so very creative)?
I once had a copy of the album. The team’s cover of “You Gotta Have Heart” is on this which they later performed on the Ed Sullivan Show after winning the series.
Cool! I’ve been looking for video of that appearance on Ed Sullivan, but I can’t seem to find it. I remember seeing clips when I was a kid…
Love this card! Can anyone identify the player in front of ed Charles?
Mike, I’m not sure who that is. The internet thinks it could be anyone from Ron Swoboda to Jack DiLauro to Forrest Gump…
HaHa thanks Doug! My guess was DiLauro…
I’m late to the game here, but I thought it was Jack as well, but Topps told me it is actually Ken Boswell. Ed Kranepool, Tug McGraw, Ed Charles and Ken Boswell in the front.